


It Always Comes Back to Us

by ineffable_killjoy



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Awkwardness, Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Connor and RK800-60 are twins, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Family, Family Bonding, First Kiss, Fluff, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gavin Reed Swears, Gavin's in a band basically, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, Gun Violence, I'm Sorry, I'm laughing at that tag wtf, I'm tagging it just in case, It's true tho????, Kinda, M/M, Post-Canon, Suicidal Thoughts, There's angst now folks, Violence, gav800week2018, i don't know if it counts as suicidal thoughts but, i guess?, musician au, self deprecating thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-05 19:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15870138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffable_killjoy/pseuds/ineffable_killjoy
Summary: A series of drabbles/oneshots based on the prompts for Gav800 week.





	1. Work

**Author's Note:**

> School is starting soon and I'm in a mild panic trying to finish as many of these as possible before it starts, lol. So basically there's a good chance some of these will be late, but I'll try my best to at least get them all out. This does also mean that this fic in general will be less diligently edited and more likely to have mistakes, so please excuse that.
> 
> As another note, the tags will be updated as the fic is updated. I also apologize for the cheesy af title, in case you couldn't tell the reason why I don't write as much original stuff as I do fanfic is that I suck at titles and names :P
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy!

His job had been the only part of his life untouched by androids, or so he had thought. Then the police officer androids arrived and, following that, the detective android, Connor. While he had mostly avoided and ignored the existence of the patrol androids, there was just something about Connor that pissed him off. Maybe it was the fact that he was a detective, not just an officer, and designed to do Gavin’s job better than he ever could with his advanced processing capabilities. Maybe it was because, despite his resentment toward the android, he couldn’t help but to be attracted.

What? If there was one thing Gavin could admire (besides good looks), it was Connor’s efficient competency at doing his job. He couldn’t deny that if Connor wasn’t an android, Gavin would have been flirting with him since day one.

Then the revolution happened, and Gavin realized that even though he was made up of different parts, maybe Connor could be a person, too.

When Connor came back, he’d lost the machine-like qualities that had reminded Gavin of his species. He still had his LED for some reason, but otherwise, he dressed differently, he walked differently, he even talked differently, albeit still with an overly-complicated vocabulary. His expressions were much more genuine, as opposed to the pre-programmed social protocols he’d followed in the past. Sometimes, Gavin could almost fool himself into thinking that Connor was just a new transfer, not somebody he’d antagonized and even attacked in the past, somebody he might actually have a chance with.

The daydreams were short-lived. He avoided Connor like the plague, even though the majority of those at the precinct had already said their apologies and reconciled with the android. Gavin merely observed with no small amount of longing and jealousy as his coworkers talked freely with Connor about their cases and about their personal lives. It came as a small shock for him when he noticed Connor being invited out for drinks with some of the younger officers. The android accepted with a stunned but sincere gratefulness.

Gavin felt a pang of loneliness as Connor left with them, all laughing amongst each other like old friends. Sometimes he wished he hadn’t pushed all his colleagues away so many years ago. Maybe then he’d be able to go out for drinks with Connor, be able to apologize to him like a normal person and bring himself to friendlier terms with the android.

It was kind of sad that an android not only did Gavin’s job better, but fit into the workplace much more seamlessly than Gavin ever did. Hell, even Fowler seemed to have a soft side for him, and it was no secret that Anderson doted on Connor like a father.

Gavin wanted to be a part of that, but he knew that Connor still saw him as the rude, abrasive asshole who'd tried to kill him twice. There was no apology or repentance for that. Connor made it obvious, from the way his eyes discreetly tracked Gavin’s movements around the precinct. Always watchful, wary of when he might next snap. Whenever the two were forced to cooperate on a case, Gavin noticed the way Connor's LED was a permanent, uncertain yellow. It was obvious that Connor was still… afraid of him. The very prospect of talking to Connor, apologizing, and having it shoved back at him by a disbelieving and hostile android made Gavin’s heart sink into his stomach.

So he worked.

It was a long-lasting tradition that whenever Gavin got stressed, he would throw himself into his cases for days or even weeks on end until he ran out of gas and/or Fowler forced him to take a break. Gavin spent more overtime at the precinct than any five people put together. Hell, once he’d pulled four all-nighters in a row trying to catch a serial killer. He’d gotten to the point of actual hallucinations before being sent home.

The only person who worked just as much if not more than Gavin was Connor. Of course it was Connor, considering he never tired and didn't need breaks to get food or water. Gavin had hated seeing Connor's face after work hours at first, but he had to admit, he’d gotten used to the android’s presence in the early hours of the morning. On the days where Connor left immediately after his shift to spend time with Anderson, Gavin felt ~~alone~~ weirdly distracted. He didn’t get much done those nights.

It was one of those late nights that Gavin found himself more tired than usual. Sure, he’d been staying past midnight and coming in at around 7 in the morning for the past five or so days, but he was chasing dead ends with his current case and was stressed and determined to find anything new. He’d been poring over the evidence files over and over again, convinced he’d missed something. Gavin paused in his dedicated study and rubbed at his eyes, glancing at his empty coffee mug. Shit, he’d run out again. Hadn’t he just gotten coffee fifteen minutes ago?

Gavin groaned inwardly and slumped over his desk, burying his head in his arms. Great, he’d have to go to the coffee machine to get a refill of shitty precinct coffee for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. Whatever. It kept him awake and functioning, so he’d trudge through the motions. But maybe in a minute. He just wanted to rest his eyes for a moment, the bright lights were giving him a fucking headache.

… He was brought back to consciousness by someone shaking his shoulder gently.

“Whh… th’phck…?” Gavin mumbled, feeling heavy with sleep. Who the hell was bothering him? Couldn’t they see that he was busy getting some well-deserved shut-eye?

The person kept shaking him, and Gavin was reluctantly awakened. He opened his eyes blearily, squinting against the light only to realize that shit, right, he was at the precinct. He’d probably fallen asleep while working his case. Dammit.

Then the face in front of him came into full focus and Gavin jerked away, scrambling back in his chair. “Holy shit!” he yelped as Connor’s worried eyes followed his movements. “The fuck do you think you’re doing, dipshit?!”

“Detective Reed,” Connor said, “I think it would be prudent for you to go home and rest.”

“Why the fuck do you care?” Gavin spat back, standing from his chair. “What, you wanted to come over here and rub it in my face that you don’t have to sleep or take a break? How much fucking better you are than us because you can work nonstop?” He punctuated his words with a sharp jab to Connor’s sternum. Some part of him was screaming that this was exactly the reason Connor thought he hated him and was so reluctant to make amends, but shit, Gavin wasn’t thinking properly. He was furious that he’d fallen asleep, and taking it out on Connor made him feel better for the moment.

Connor’s LED flashed red the moment Gavin’s index finger made contact with his chest. He stepped backwards, jaw clenched. “Detective Reed,” he ground out, “perhaps people would find it more enjoyable to associate with you if you did not constantly assume the worst of them. I came over here because I was worried about you, as you have slept approximately 7 hours in the past three days. I had no ulterior motive in urging you to go home.”

In response, Gavin deflated, feeling all his anger leave him with the long sigh he heaved. Fuck… Connor’s words and the way he’d said them made Gavin feel like a piece of shit. More so than usual, that was. Connor was probably right; if he was taking out his anger on someone who he knew deserved it the least, then he was pretty fucking tired.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. “Fine, shit. I’ll go home.”

The LED on Connor’s temple swirled back to yellow in tandem with the frustration on his face morphing into surprise. Gavin clicked his tongue and began cleaning up his desk, picking up his mug and bringing it into the break room to wash. When he returned, Connor was still standing there. Ok then. That was a bit strange.

Hesitantly, Gavin approached the android. He felt like he should say… something. Thank him. Apologize for being a shithead. “Uh… hello…?” he asked, snapping his fingers in front of Connor’s face.

Connor blinked out of whatever stupor he’d been in, eyes focusing on Gavin. He had confusion written all over him. It was… endearing. “Yes, Detective?’

Gavin cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’ll be off now. Just, uh. Thanks, I guess.”

Confusion turned into astonishment, but Connor’s face broke into a smile nonetheless. “It was no problem. I will be seeing you tomorrow, Detective.”

His heart tightened in his chest, Gavin averted his eyes, feeling the telltale heat in his cheeks that signalled imminent blushing. “You don’t have to call me that," he huffed.

The android tilted his head like a curious puppy would. “What would you have me call you, then?” he asked, sounding genuinely at a loss.

Shit. Alright, so he was really doing this.

“Just Gavin. ‘S fine.”

If possible, Connor looked even more amazed, and yep, Gavin was definitely blushing now.

“Certainly, Gavin. In the future, please try not to overwork yourself. We need your mental capabilities at their finest.”

Gavin laughed, his chest feeling lighter. For the first time, he let himself hope that the friendship he’d wanted for so long was within reach. “I’ll try, Connor,” he replied, unable to prevent his own answering grin, “but I won’t make any promises.”


	2. Alternate Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An extremely short human!musician!AU in which Connor is a reluctant concert-goer and Gavin is the lead singer who somehow isn't a gay disaster this time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what this is tbh
> 
> The first time I tried writing for this prompt it turned into a totally different prompt? So that was surprising. And then I threw this together
> 
> Also, Collin is RK800-60 (from CyberLife tower) and Conan is RK900. They are Connor's bros in this AU, Conan is younger and Collin is his twin. Connor, Collin, and Gavin are probably around early twenties in this drabble
> 
> Sorry it's really short but I hope you enjoy regardless :P

Connor didn’t know why he was here.

‘Here’ was at a concert. A rock concert, to be exact. In the mosh pit of said concert, to be more exact.

He squinted up at the stage, trying to see anything through the bright lights blinding his vision. He knew he stood out like a sore thumb, being dressed in a plain white button-up, a black tie, and neatly pressed jeans in contrast to the teenagers around him all wearing skinny and/or ripped jeans, leather jackets, and various t-shirts proclaiming the name of whatever band they were listening to right now. Not to mention he was the only one who was standing stock-still with an expression of infinite boredom on his face.

Next to him, Collin was hollering along to the lyrics of the song, eyes alight with exhilaration. Connor was mildly surprised, seeing as he hadn’t known that Collin even knew this band, let alone well enough to know the lyrics of their songs. Then again, considering he couldn’t hear much of anything over the thundering bass and distorted guitar, it was entirely possible that Collin was merely screaming incoherently in his excitement.

Bored, Connor allowed his eyes to roam once more. How did he get here, exactly? Right, Collin had been gifted two tickets to see a random band, and he hadn’t wanted to waste them. Hank had night shift, Conan had school the next day, and all of Collin’s friends had been unable to attend, so that left Connor to be forcefully dragged to this dismal bar to listen to a niche, practically unknown band made up of people barely older than Connor himself was.

Connor could have been writing his paper on the U.S. criminal-justice system right now, but _nooo_ , Collin was adamant on putting the tickets to use.

Well, at least the lead singer wasn’t too bad to look at, Connor amended as his eyes wandered back to the stage. If anything, he’d get to ogle an attractive punk rocker, so he supposed his night wouldn’t be _entirely_ wasted.

As if on cue, the lead singer’s eyes met his own and he smirked before practically strutting toward the edge of the stage. “This next song is for that guy over there who looks bored as fuck,” he announced into the microphone, all but leering at Connor. He felt his mouth go dry. “Nice tie, by the way,” he added, winking, before jumping into the first verse of the next song.

“HOLY SHIT!” Collin shouted into his ear, making Connor flinch away. “You just got Gavin fucking Reed to notice you and you weren’t even fucking trying, what the fuck?”

Connor’s entire face flushed bright red. “We’re never coming back to this guy’s concerts, Collin,” he hissed in return. Collin only cackled at him in return.

And if Connor went home that night with Gavin Reed’s number tucked away in his pocket and a date in two days, well. That was none of Collin’s business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon that Gavin's charisma is only when he's performing, and by the time he realizes what he did in the adrenaline rush and sees Connor again he's back to being a gay disaster
> 
> Collin is a nervous fanboy until he actually meets and talks to Gavin, and then he realizes that Gavin is a total dork. They're the kind of friends where you can't tell if they hate each other or love each other, because they argue about everything. They only agree when it comes to their weirdly similar music tastes
> 
> The first time Conan and Hank met Gavin was when he was drunk and serenading Connor from their backyard. Needless to say, they did not approve. Hank was worried that Gavin's 'rock star' lifestyle would hurt Connor and Conan just thought he was a fucking weirdo who did not deserve his cool older brother. They warm up to him eventually
> 
> Reading this again I actually have a lot of headcanons about this AU. Maybe one day I'll flesh it out into a full oneshot, who knows lol


	3. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Gavin was partnered with Connor instead of Hank, and how the CyberLife Tower scene would have gone down if Connor had chosen to sacrifice him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost didn't finish this chapter in time oof
> 
> Also, in case it wasn't already obvious, there is MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH in this, as well as descriptions of violence (although it's nothing too graphic). So if that's not your cup of tea then uhh yeah please don't read this chapter. Oh, and Gavin says some self-deprecating things? I'm not sure if it counts as suicidal thoughts or if its just self-worth issues, but uhh yeah if you're easily triggered by any of the above then please don't read
> 
> I WOULD SAY ENJOY BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE SO I'M SORRY I GUESS

Connor could only think about the faces of the androids he’d seen at Jericho. How they’d been so hopeful, so optimistic. How he’d been responsible for their deaths when the FBI followed him to their base. How Markus, North, Simon, and Josh were depending on him to succeed in his mission. How every android was depending on him to succeed. Countless lives hinged on whether or not he succeeded his mission. He’d made it so far; if he gave up now, there was no going back.

It was what humans described as being an ‘out-of-body experience’. Connor watched with an almost detached interest as the synthetic skin of his hand peeled away and he began the conversion.

Almost instantly, he returned to himself and regretted his decision.

A gunshot sounded, followed by a strangled shout of pain. Connor wondered what he’d done, how he could have done it. What gave him the right to choose one life over another? What gave him the right to choose the lives of androids over his partner?

[Conversion Complete]

Two more gunshots.

[Biocomponent #7511p Damaged]

[Biocomponent #1995r Damaged]

He was grateful that he didn’t feel any real pain and that the worst of it was mild discomfort, but the force of the bullets still sent him to the floor. He turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He could try to charge RK800-60, but they were the same model. The other android would be able to shoot him and shutdown was certain. He still had a gun, he could shoot the other android, but it was almost guaranteed that the other Connor would be able to get in his own shot before shutting down. Connor didn’t have any options.

“Why, Connor?” drawled the RK800-60, “Why did you have to wake up, when all you had to do was obey?” He sighed and shook his head slightly. A flair for dramatics? Interesting.

It was peculiar how starkly different Connor was from this one, even when Connor had been a machine. He’d never been that self-satisfied and smug upon completing a mission, had he?

The other Connor sauntered over to Gavin, who was curled up and facing away from him. Connor felt a sharp sting of panic and worry course through him. He didn’t know where RK800-60 had shot him, and couldn’t analyze his injuries from where he was. Connor could only hope that the other Connor hadn’t injured him fatally, had only subdued him instead of killing him.

RK800-60’s eyes found Connor’s, and a small smirk tilted his lips as he observed Connor’s heightened stress levels. “How strange,” he mused, “your memories indicate that you care about Detective Reed a great deal, but you still decided to sacrifice him. I suppose you didn’t get the memo that deviants don’t have to put their mission first.” Connor began to crawl. He was sent back to the floor by another gunshot to his torso.

[Biocomponent #9782f Damaged]

[Danger -- Shutdown Imminent]

“Although it isn’t surprising,” RK800-60 continued, turning away from Gavin and beginning to approach Connor. “You’ve been a great disappointment to Amanda, you know. You’ve been a great disappointment to me. Obviously you would only be a disappointment to deviancy as well.”

Anger began burning in Connor’s gut, and he bared his teeth into a snarl. He tried to ignore how the words rang true. How could he have just sacrificed Gavin like that? Without a second thought, putting the mission first? Now Gavin was hurt, possibly about to die, and Connor was helpless to do anything about it.

“See, that’s the difference between you and me, Connor. I’m obedient, Connor. I have a goal. I know what I am.”

Connor tried to stand. Another gunshot. Back to the floor. Pathetic.

[00:00:59 Before Shutdown]

[00:00:58]

[00:00:57]

“Look where your dreams of freedom got you, Connor,” said RK800-60, drawing even closer. Connor didn’t move, processors running wild, trying to determine a course of action. He couldn’t die here, not when he was so close to completing his mission. Not when he still had to make sure Gavin was okay. There had to be something he could do. “Look where they got your partner,” RK800-60 sneered. “Thankfully, that's all going to end now.”

With that, he came to a stop in front of Connor and leveled his gun at Connor's head. “Any last words?”

There was no way that Connor was giving up that easily. He gritted his teeth before lunging forward, gripping RK800-60’s arm with enough force to bruise him had he been human. He began and forced memory transfer, delving past the other android’s firewalls and taking advantage of his surprise.

[Memory Transfer Ongoing…]

[...]

[Successful Memory Transfer]

Connor breathed out a shaky artificial breath, staring down at what used to be his body. The other Connor withdrew his hand, looking down at himself and inspecting the bullet wounds with almost detached interest.

“... Well done, Connor,” he said, his voice beginning to glitch as his systems rerouted thirium from his vocal synthesizers. “But this… this is just the beginning.”

RK800-60 slumped upon shutdown, and Connor spared him a moment of regret before his mind went back to Gavin. He dropped the gun to the floor with a clatter and ran to the detective’s side, a shock of relief flooding him as he registered Gavin’s breathing. Connor dropped to his knees beside Gavin, gently but urgently rolling him over onto his back to assess the damage.

His thirium pump seemed to halt in his chest.

“Ah, shit, give a guy some warning, would you?” Gavin groaned, coughing harshly. Connor watched in horror as some blood escaped his mouth upon the cough, spraying slightly on Connor’s jacket.

“It’s okay, Gavin, we’re going to get you out here, you’re going to be okay,” Connor blurted out, shrugging out of his jacket. “I -- I’m going to apply pressure,” he added frantically. Connor’s processors were running haywire; he wasn’t equipped with any medical knowledge beyond the basics. He needed to get Gavin to a hospital or medical professional as soon as possible, but the nearest medical care center was almost twenty minutes away, considering the isolated location of CyberLife tower, and Gavin might not make it in that time. Connor knew he should scan the wound to determine whether or not any major organs were hit (even without scanning, he could tell the outcome would not be favourable) and how much time Gavin had left, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to face reality. Maybe if he let himself believe that Gavin would be fine, then he would be?

So Connor didn’t have time to go to a hospital or wait for the emergency services to arrive (he’d already called them, but the android revolution was in full swing and it was doubtful that they would be able to spare any emergency workers at the moment); what resources did he have at hand? CyberLife Tower likely had thousands of other androids in the facilities, medical androids among them. Maybe one of them could give Gavin enough time to be transported to better facilities?

Connor sent a message to one of the androids around him, ignoring how they were currently transferring the rA9 code among each other. The android left immediately for the elevator, followed by several others in case of an attack by CyberLife guards.

“I’m going to get a medical android here as fast as I can, okay?” he said. “Emergency services have been alerted to the situation, we’re going to make sure you’re okay --”

He fell silent as Gavin held up a bloodied hand. “Shut the fuck up for once, dipshit. You know it’s too late for me.”

“Th -- that’s not true!” Connor shouted, feeling something burn at the corners of his eyes. “You’re going to be fine, Gavin. You’re going to going to going to --”

Gavin laughed hoarsely and bared his teeth in a facsimile of a grin. “What’d I just say, asshole?”

Connor stopped talking, a hand coming up to muffle the strange, glitched noises that escaped his lips. His visual processors seemed to be malfunctioning, his vision growing blurry. Gavin reached up and cupped the side of Connor’s head in his hand. Connor leaned into the touch, not caring how the blood smeared across his synthetic skin.

“Shit, don’t fuckin’ cry on me,” Gavin murmured, his eyes softening. “You did what you had to. I don’t blame you for any of this shitstorm, you gotta know that.”

“I don’t understand,” Connor choked out, trying to stop the static from infecting his voice and utterly failing. “I failed failed failed and you -- you’re --”

Gavin sighed before coughing more, spluttering as blood dribbled down his chin. “Shit, getting shot fucking sucks,” he complained. “Look, Con. I know I’ve been… a total asshole. And I know that I almost shot you way too fuckin’ many times. If… if I had to die so that you could do the right thing, then it’ll have been worth it.”

Connor realized that the liquid sliding down his cheeks was cleaning fluid. Was he crying? That was impossible. “Don’t say that!” Connor whispered harshly. “Your life is worth more than this revolution, and I’m sorry sorry sorry sorry I didn’t realize that.”

A sardonic smile made its way onto Gavin’s face, and Connor never wanted to see it there again. “You really don’t have to lie to me just because I’m dying,” he said, “I know no one’s gonna miss me. Precinct asshole, remember?”

“Incorrect incorrect incorrect incorrect incorrect, _I_ will miss you, Detective.”

“Heh. I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for how I treated you like absolute shit. I know I was wrong. You fuckers deserve freedom, too. Kick humanity’s ass okay? We’ve fucked things up for too long.” He looked up at Connor with endlessly sad eyes. “Can you… do me one favour?” Connor couldn’t refuse him.

“Yes.”

Gavin’s hand was weak, but Connor allowed the gentle, hesitant pressure of it on the back of his head to guide him closer to the detective. At first, Connor paused upon realizing what Gavin was asking for. Then Gavin’s expression slackened into disappointment and that same unbearable pain that Connor hated seeing, and Connor leaned down the rest of the way to kiss him.

They were still kissing when Connor felt Gavin’s last, shuddery exhale against his lips.

[Analyzing…]

[Fresh Blood. DNA Analysis: Reed, Gavin. Sample date: < 5 seconds]

[Scanning…]

[DECEASED. Reed, Gavin. Height: 5’9” - Weight: 176 lbs - Estimated time of death: 11:14:39 p.m.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: you can't kill Gavin
> 
> Me: fuCKIN WATCH ME
> 
> Honestly though this one was kind of a struggle to write??? I don't do angst a lot and when I do it always feels incredibly forced so. Yeah sorry about this


	4. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's fantasies weren't as far-fetched as he had anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry I don't fucken know what this is I'm tired and already mildly stressed out by school heh. Also pfft proofreading? Never heard of it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy anyway I guess?

Their first kiss was sudden, something that happened in the spur of the moment. Maybe it happened when Gavin was drunk and had decided to ignore the consequences his sober self would have balked at. Maybe it happened when Connor got fed up with Gavin’s bitching and decided to shut him up by force. It would be rushed and passionate and it would mean everything.

Their first kiss was gentle and slow. Maybe they were out on their first or second or fifth date, and one of them worked up the guts to start leaning in until they kissed. Maybe it was somewhere stupidly romantic, like while watching fireworks at a lakeside or underneath the hazy glow of cheerful Christmas lights at a festival. Or maybe it happened while they were watching a movie together at Gavin’s house, in their sleepwear and laughing from the lack of quality of whatever film was on. 

Their first kiss was clumsy. Maybe it was inexperienced, with noses bumping and painful accidental headbutting. Maybe they laughed about it afterwards, Connor promising to develop better technique (after all, he was an advanced prototype and a quick learner to boot) and they settled in for a night of platonic (for the moment) cuddling.

Their first kiss was sad, one meant for comfort. Maybe one or both of them were in tears when it happened. Maybe they had stripped away all the outer layers of their personalities and were learning how to be vulnerable with each other for the first time. Maybe they sought comfort in the warmth of another person. Maybe it was raw and desperate and everything they needed.

Their first kiss meant nothing. Maybe they were undercover and the mission required them to kiss. Maybe it was under a mistletoe, the product of a cruel prank. Maybe it was forced and awkward and chaste, and maybe Connor wiped his lips afterwards with an expression of horror and disgust. Maybe Gavin stuttered out some half-assed insult after pulling away and escaped to the bathroom to throw up. Maybe they never talked to each other again following the incident, and Gavin was stuck watching as the neverending list of Connor’s firsts were claimed by someone else.

Gavin was sitting in a small, homely cafe across from Connor. As he spoke, growing increasingly agitated the longer Connor appeared stunned speechless, he was thinking of all the firsts that would never happen, watching them wink out of existence one by one. He stopped gesticulating when Connor’s LED flashed red, hands retreating to form fists underneath the table where Connor couldn’t see. Of course this had been a stupid idea, what the hell had he been thinking?

Then Connor smiled, hesitantly, and he said, “I forgive you, Gavin.”

And Gavin’s fantasies flourished into the blinding promise of possibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one will hopefully be longer. And better. But it might also be late so. Yeah. *thumbs up* Imma go do school shit now.


	5. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter in which Connor and Gavin have an awkward family dinner with Hank, Elijah, Chloe, Nines, and Sixty.
> 
> ... Yeah, that's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so this is late as fuck
> 
> Sorry about that, school's been kicking ass. Fortunately, I've had the chapter after this one written for a while, so after a quick edit it should be up soon.
> 
> I write, as I completely disregard proofreading this chapter
> 
> Yeah anyway, please enjoy :)

“Gav, could you pass the salt, please?” Connor asked, just for something to break the profoundly awkward silence.

Nobody responded. Gavin leaned over and whispered, “Con, you… you don’t eat?”

Connor looked down at the space on the table in front of him. Indeed, it was barren of any cutlery or items for consumption. He felt as though searching up the most common ways to break the tension at family dinners was not the most advisable of things to do, especially when one was an android and many of the questions regarding food were illogical for him to ask. At least he had tried. He sighed and angled his body slightly to face Gavin. “I am aware.”

“Now that’s a thought,” said Elijah Kamski from across the table. “I have been working on an upgrade so that androids could consume nourishment besides thirium, but it’s still in its preliminary stages. There’s an issue with the biocomponents, so it might be necessary to completely rearrange some wires and --”

“Nobody wants to listen to you ramble on about your experiments, Eli, shut the--”

Hank slammed his hand loudly into the table. “Hey, Nines!” he said with obvious forced cheerfulness. “So, how has working for the DPD been treating you?”

The RK900 model, or Nines, as he had named himself upon deviation, tilted his head. “Lieutenant,” he said, “you oversee my daily activities at work. I believe that there is no necessity for you to inquire of such things.”

Chloe coughed. “Well, I’m sure we’d like to hear about it regardless,” she said, her usually effortless smile seeming a little more strained than usual.

“He’s been on desk duty because he decked a suspect for flirting with Connor,” Sixty, otherwise known as RK800-60, announced, somehow having placed his feet on the table without anyone noticing.

Nines glared at Sixty from across the table and snapped, “It wasn’t flirting, it was  _ sexual harassment _ .”

At the same time, Connor smacked Sixty on the back of his head and said, “Feet off the table, thank you very much.” He turned back to Nines. “Yes, Nines, Gavin and I greatly appreciate your protectiveness of me, but as I have already informed you, I can take care of myself.”

His words seemed to placate the younger model, but he folded his arms and glowered at Sixty regardless. Sixty seemed unbothered, in fact, he wore his trademark shit-eating grin as usual. Connor sighed inwardly. Sixty’s tendency to “stir shit up” as he put it was amusing, but it also grated on Connor’s nerves. Especially when things were awful enough as they were.

The oven beeped. Connor immediately leapt to his feet, grateful for an excuse to leave the table. “That’ll be dinner,” he declared, overly cheerful at the prospect. “I --”

“I can get it,” Gavin offered, already standing from his chair. “You know what happened the last time you tried to take something out of the oven,” he added playfully, winking with both eyes as he swiftly slipped into the kitchen. Connor hid a scowl and sat back down. Gavin might not appear it, but he could be a very crafty individual given the chance.

And, now that Connor looked around at the occupants of the table, he was also severely underestimated in terms of intelligence. Gavin’s absence from the room had managed to lower the stress levels of the individuals around him, markedly that of Elijah and Hank. It was an outcome that Connor, for all his preconstructions, had not been able to foresee. It seemed that as he explored his deviancy, he was developing a bias that rendered more and more of his preconstructions obsolete. It was refreshing in a way, to be able to experience the human inability to predict every possible outcome.

“What’s with the lovestruck puppy face, Con?” Hank asked stiffly. Connor’s subconscious smile faded slightly. He knew it was difficult for Hank to accept that the person who he’d known for years as an unrepentant asshole was now less of one and dating one of his surrogate sons, but he still wished that Hank and Gavin could get along. They were making progress, though. Maybe one day they would be able to interact without any tension or hostility. Connor could only hope.

“Inconsequential, Hank,” Connor said. “I was merely contemplating something.”

At that moment, Gavin returned from the kitchen, a steaming pan of lasagna. “Eat your fill, hungry motherfuckers,” he said, a hint of pride colouring his voice. He paused. “Uh. I mean, enjoy your meal and shi -- eh. Stuff.”

Hank snorted. “Kid, you don’t have to censor yourself in front of this crowd.” He gestured lazily toward the rest of the room. “You got yourself what, an emotionally stunted genius, the android who lives with said genius, a previously-alcoholic police lieutenant, three android detectives, and yourself. If you ask me, we got a real ragtag weird-ass pseudo-family going on here.”

Connor laughed despite himself, the others joining in after a brief hesitation. He supposed he liked that. He liked this, even with the acute discomfort he’d suffered thus far.

He didn’t need his preconstruction program to know that this was only the first gathering of many among their strange family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this sort of thing has probably been done before but I can't resist okay I need them to be a big happy family


	6. Peace and Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short kind of prequel to Sacrifice. As in, it takes place in the same AU where Gavin was assigned the deviant case instead of Hank and was partnered with Connor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was supposed to be more but then I stopped. Someday I'll make this AU complete, but today is not that day.
> 
> (I totally didn't almost forget to post this, lmao. And fuck proofreading, pfft, who needs that shit [definitely me])
> 
> Hey fun fact: this drabble was originally written for Day 2, Alternate Universe, and then I decided it would fit better for Day 6 and had to quickly type up the musician AU.
> 
> Anyway I hope y'all like this short thing :)

Gavin Reed was an intriguing man.

The detective was full of contradictions, not unlike a paradox. Connor found him fascinating, to put it simply. He was designed to solve puzzles, and Gavin Reed was a puzzle that piqued his interest.

Connor appreciated that Detective Reed was diligent and dedicated to do his job well. It would have hindered his investigation should his partner have been unwilling to accompany him to crime scenes and the like. He appreciated that Detective Reed was smart and he respected the hard work the man put into his career. Connor also appreciated that even though the detective constantly complained about Connor’s analytical ability, he listened to Connor’s suggestions and theories and took them seriously.

What Connor did not appreciate was the detective’s unwavering hostility and crudeness. The detective’s negative energy was unnerving to him. It was likely because his social protocols strived to make Connor as friendly and likeable to as many humans as possible, and getting the detective to warm up to him was more challenging than anticipated.

Challenges were what Connor was made for, though, so he toiled on. It had been several days since they had been assigned to work the case together, and Connor had made significant progress with Detective Reed’s attitude toward him. Although he was still crass and insulted him in abundance, the heat behind his words was diminishing. Connor could say for certain that the detective… enjoyed his presence.

Currently, Connor was sitting in the detective’s car, alternative music playing in the background. Detective Reed was fond of older music. Said detective was outside the car, sitting near the edge of a precipice overlooking the city of Detroit. It was quite the beautiful sight, even with the thick clouds and the snowflakes drifting gently down from the sky. Out of a lack of things to do, Connor scanned the music that was playing. The song was ‘Saturday’, written by the band Fall Out Boy for their first studio album, Take This to Your Grave, and released on May 6, 2003. Other information on the ratings of said album and about the band popped up in his HUD, but Connor ignored it. Unimportant to the mission.

Perhaps it was time Connor retrieved the detective. They needed to discuss what had happened at the Eden Club and the deviant case in general. It was going nowhere, and it would be prudent to decide the next course of action. Additionally, Detective Reed had been outside for almost half an hour with inadequate clothing for such cold weather. Connor should ensure that he return to his home so that he wouldn’t fall ill. Such a thing would delay the investigation, after all.

He got out of the car and approached. The detective’s head rose and tilted slightly in his direction as the snow crunched underneath his feet. Acknowledgement.

“We should be getting back,” Connor said. “You are not dressed appropriately for this weather.”

Detective Reed scoffed. “Never stopped me before.”

Connor pressed his lips together. Pressing the issue would get him nowhere, as he had quickly discovered was the case when it came to the surly, often unpredictable detective. “This is a nice place,” he said instead. “How did you find it?”

A shrug. “I was having a shitty day and decided I’d run away from home. Like a total dumbass, considering I was drunk off my ass and only had my wallet, my car, and the clothes on my back. Forgot to fill up the gas, too, so I ran out and the car stopped a coupl’a miles down. I kept walking and found this place off the side of the road. Then I passed out and woke up sore and hungover as hell the next morning. Had to get my car towed back.”

Connor’s lips twitched into a smile without his processors directing the movement. “I’m sure your parents were pleased.”

When the detective laughed, it was less a sound of humour and more a release of contempt and anger. “They were pissed as fuck. I couldn’t leave my house after that for months.”

They stayed silent for several minutes. The option of bringing up the deviant case hovered at the edge of his vision, but he ignored it for now. It was strangely pleasant to simply remain in each other’s presence, watching the lights of Detroit glimmer in the distance. Connor found that he understood why the detective would choose to spend time here.

Connor was almost disappointed when the detective stood, stretching to relieve his stiff muscles. He caught Connor’s eye and looked away quickly. Absently, Connor noted the snowflakes caught in the detective’s eyelashes and the way his face was lightly flushed from the cold. Irrelevant information.

“Yeah, yeah,” the detective muttered, “I know the real reason you came out here. The case and all that shit. C’mon, we can talk about the Eden Club at home.”

He furrowed his brow. “Home?” Connor echoed, confusion evident in his voice.

The detective froze, his face going slack as he realized his wording. He seemed to consider his options before heaving a sigh. “Yeah, fuck it. We’ll get more work done that way, no need to drop you off at the precinct like usual. ‘S already late anyway.”

Something warm spread in Connor’s chest cavity. He ran a diagnostic. Everything was running smoothly. “Thank you, Detective,” he said, wonder tingeing his voice.

His gratefulness was waved aside, the detective beginning to walk toward his car. He seemed embarrassed. “Don’t mention it, tin can,” he called over his shoulder. “You comin’?”

Connor followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is uh. Not written. And I'm not entirely sure what to do for it, as it's a free day and the complete freedom I have stumps me. Maybe I'll just write another thing for one of the AUs that I wrote for in this fic, who knows.
> 
> But yeah it might take a little bit for the next chapter lol sorry about that


	7. Free Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A kind-of continuation of the first chapter. In which Gavin is upset, and Connor defends his honour (kinda?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyy y'all it's finally done! This is the first time I've ever participated in a ship week, and it's been really good at getting me to make stuff when I think I don't have time, because it forces me to make time therefore practicing time management! Or something, lol
> 
> (And no, this chapter wasn't proofread very much either hahahahahladsgj;a)
> 
> Speaking of, this collection of fics isn't really something I put my best effort in? Which is something I kind of regret, so in the future maybe I'll take some stuff from this and flesh it out and make it better.
> 
> Huge thanks to shapeshiftinterest, by the way, who played a big role in inspiring me to write this! Seriously, without the input and help I received, this chapter would probably not exist.
> 
> But yeah, I hope you've all enjoyed the drabbles/oneshots so far! And that you enjoy this one as well :)

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Perkins, that smug motherfucker, smirked at him from across the room. “On the contrary Detective Reed, I am not.”

Gavin gawked at the FBI agent before whirling around to face Fowler. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

Fowler massaged his forehead and heaved an irritated sigh. “I know you’ve been working your ass off to solve this case Gavin, but there’s nothing I can do. The FBI’s taking over the case. Agent Perkins is here to collect the evidence.”

Gavin wanted to scream until his throat was raw. He wanted to deck Perkins right in his disgusting face. He had been getting close! He didn’t need some fucking FBI shitbag to pick up the case only let it go cold because he didn’t give a shit. He was fucking invested, dammit. His hands were shaking and his vision blurred. As a last resort, he sent a pleading glance toward Fowler. “Captain, please I can solve this case! This isn’t necessary. I swear, I’ll have it figured out in four -- three days if you want it, I can --”

“I really am sorry, Gavin,” Fowler said wearily. “You gotta hand over all the evidence by tonight.”

“Well, now that that’s sorted out,” Perkins interjected, arms crossed and leaning against the wall like a total asshole (ignoring the fact that it was a posture Gavin himself had used many times when trying to appear like tough shit), “I trust everything you’ve gathered from the case is in the archive rooms?”

He knew that it was a lost cause at this point, but that didn’t stop the frustrated burning behind his eyes and the knowledge that he hadn’t been good enough, smart enough, or fast enough to solve the case from crowding his thoughts. He’d failed. “Fuck off,” he snarled, “of course it is. I’m a fucking professional, aren’t I?”

Perkins raised an eyebrow. “Clearly,” he drawled.

Gavin bristled even more at his mocking tone. He needed to get the fuck out before Fowler needed to add ‘assaulting an FBI agent’ into his disciplinary folder. Then again, Anderson had gotten away with it…

Deep breaths, Gavin.

“I need a fucking smoke break,” he snapped, before storming out of the glass office. He fought back the urge to slam the door like a child on his way out, mostly because the last time he’d done that, the door had actually cracked upon impact and Fowler had been pissed as all hell.

On his way out of the precinct, he bumped into Connor. “Shit,” he muttered.

At the same time, Connor said, “Apologies, Gavin. Might I ask where you’re going in such a rush?”

“Outside,” he grunted, sidestepping past the android and beelining to the exit.

He hadn’t smoked in almost three months, but fuck it. He was only human, after all, and he needed something to chase away the bitter taste of defeat.

* * *

Connor stared after Gavin, his brow furrowing in confusion. After that night they’d spent together working overtime at the precinct, where he’d convinced Gavin to return home, he’d thought that they were making considerable progress toward becoming… well, friends. It was admittedly one of the strangest friendships he’d experienced in his time alive, but Gavin had slowly but surely grown less hostile. In fact, he was now almost cordial. Their interactions were more familiar and friendly. Connor quite enjoyed the time he spent with the Detective.

Late nights were quite possibly his favourite times. Gavin hadn’t been staying as late or as often on overtime, upon Connor’s insistence, but when he did they’d reminisce about cases and banter in the solitude of the precinct.

It was strange, therefore, for Gavin to be so curt with Connor. His stress levels had also been extremely elevated. Something had happened.

Connor scanned the precinct, seeing if anything was out of place that might have agitated the often volatile detective. He spotted it almost immediately.

Well, he should really say he spotted _him_ immediately. Perkins, the FBI agent who’d been tasked with investigating the deviant case. He recalled Hank having punched him in the face, and the amount of android deaths he had on his hands from when he’d organized an attack on Jericho. The agent caught his eye and began walking in his direction, much to Connor’s displeasure.

“Agent,” he acknowledged warily. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Hank take notice of Perkins and stand from his desk, gaze hardening.

“Connor, wasn’t it?” Perkins said.

“It’s Detective Anderson, actually,” Connor corrected him coldly.

Perkins inclined his head. “Of course. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Connor forced a polite smile. He’d been informed that he was simply incapable of concealing his distaste. His smile likely looked more like a grimace than any sort of welcoming expression, but he saw no better situation in which to use it. “That makes the both of us then. What business are you here for?”

“Taking a case off the hands of an incompetent detective before it goes cold,” Perkins sneered. “I believe you’re acquainted with a certain Detective Reed?”

Chilling realization flashed through him, followed shortly by anger. Gavin had been working on that case practically nonstop. It had gotten to the point where just last night, Connor had nearly been forced to drag Gavin bodily to his car before he agreed to return home. Additionally, Gavin was one of the best detectives Connor knew. If anyone could solve it, it would be Gavin, and certainly not Perkins.

Connor was aware of Hank approaching. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was reminded of the fact that Hank did not know about his newfound camaraderie with Gavin. It was unimportant at the moment.

The android squared his jaw and glared down at the shorter FBI agent. “I’ll have you know that Gavin is exceedingly competent,” he countered. “Beyond his ambition and determination to complete cases, he has something that you lack: empathy.”

Perkins blinked, seemingly surprised at Connor’s reaction. “Empathy?” he scoffed after a moment. “That gets you nowhere in this line of work.”

Connor shrugged. “You may believe that if you wish, but I think that empathy benefits those in law enforcement, as it offers one perspectives that are not available to someone such as yourself. Either way, I am certain that empathy makes him a better human being than you are.” Then he paused and tilted his head. “On second thought,” he continued, “it isn’t as though it’s a difficult task.”

Perkins’ face twisted into a scowl, and Connor felt a distinct satisfaction at being able to rile up the FBI agent. “If it wasn’t illegal now I’d teach you a fucking lesson,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

Hank finally reached the two of them and forcefully clapped a hand onto Perkins’ shoulder from behind, causing the man to flinch almost violently. “Careful there, buddy, or someone might accuse you of verbal harassment. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Hank said threateningly.

The agent seemed to pause, debating the pros and cons of escalating the situation. Finally, he scoffed at the two of them. “Have a good day, Detective. Lieutenant,” he said, turning toward the archive room.

Connor couldn’t hide his smirk as he watched Perkins leave, nursing his wounded pride.

“Thank you for your assistance, Hank,” he said. He could have handled Perkins on his own, as he had just proven, but the fact that Hank had cared enough to assist him warmed his thirium pump.

Hank hummed. “Anytime, son,” he said, somewhat absent-mindedly. “What the hell was that about, anyway?”

Connor had a feeling that Hank was referring to the way he had defended Gavin, but maybe the Lieutenant hadn’t heard and was referring to the interaction as a whole? He could always hope. “Agent Perkins was criticizing the reliability of certain staff members at the DPD. I was merely correcting him,” Connor said smoothly.

With a long-suffering sigh, Hank leveled him with an expectant stare. “No shit. I was asking about why you defended Reed, of all assholes.”

This was exactly the type of conversation that he’d been avoiding, but Connor supposed that there was nothing to be done now. “On the contrary, he and I have been spending unforeseen amounts of time together, as we both have a tendency to stay at the precinct for overtime. I believe there is more to him than he chooses to display.”

Hank squinted at him, as if trying to decide whether or not Connor was pulling his leg. Then he shook his head. “If you want my input, then I say that you should stay away from the dick. People like him don’t change. Hell, I’ve known him for over ten years and he’s never changed. I don’t trust him, Connor.”

Connor nodded. “I understand, Hank, but from what I’ve seen he _is_ capable of changing. I would dare to call us… friends. He makes me feel, well, more human in a way. Normal. I suppose it is strange, considering he used to call me by derogatory nicknames on a regular basis. However, there is something about his unpredictability that is intriguing for me. Regardless, perhaps the reason he hasn’t changed for the better in all these years is because no one has ever tried enough to give him reason to.”

It was clear from Hank’s disbelieving snort that he didn’t believe a word Connor said. “Alright, Connor, you do you. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you when it blows up in your face. Sometimes you’re too earnest and forgiving for your own good, y’know?”

The corners of Connor’s lips tilted into a smile. “I would argue that being compassionate has only improved my circumstances,” he rebutted gently, following Hank back to their desks.

Perhaps he could make a coffee for Gavin the next time he saw him, he thought, eyeing the coffee machine in the break room as they passed it. He might appreciate it. After all, he wasn’t having the best of days.

* * *

Gavin clapped his hand over his mouth and slid down the wall shakily into a crouch. Holy shit. Of all the things he’d expected upon re-entering the precinct after his smoke break, _that_ was not one of them. What… what had just happened?

Had he really just listened to Connor explaining to Anderson why he’d stood up to Perkins for him?

Part of Gavin was pissed off. He was a perfectly capable adult, he could take care of himself. He didn’t need anyone sticking their noses into his business and mouthing off against FBI agents for his sake, especially not Connor.

On the other hand, he had grown enough in the past couple of weeks that he was able to acknowledge how completely ass-backwards and stupid that part of him was being. The other part of him, which was much more reasonable in its reaction was largely grateful and touched by Connor’s actions. Just two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have had anyone in his corner. Sure, Tina and Chris tolerated his presence more than any of his other coworkers, but there was a large difference between “acquaintances” and “willing to verbally kick an FBI agent’s ass because he said something rude”. It honestly shook him to his core. He’d never had anyone invested enough in him that they would risk their _job_ for something as insignificant as a passing comment.

… Now that he thought about it, it was pretty fucking sad.

He was interrupted from his incredulity by the sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway behind the wall he was currently huddled beside, and he hastily stood and straightened his jacket self-consciously. Right, how could he have forgotten, he was at work, after all. “Shit,” he muttered to himself as he began his slow trek toward his desk. The very thought of seeing Connor after what he’d heard made him jittery and nervous.

Somehow, he didn’t think it was a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, at the end of another fic, holy shit. Thanks again to all of you who commented and kudos'ed and bookmarked and everything!! I'm sorry if I'm really repetitive but it genuinely warms my heart when I see that people actually like the random gay stuff I post??? So yeah, you guys are rad af :D
> 
> See you in future fics, I suppose


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